Depardieu Drops Appeal, Making 2025 Sexual Assault Conviction Final

Gérard Depardieu is withdrawing his appeal against a conviction for sexually assaulting two women on a film set, a source close to the case told AFP on Friday. An appeals trial had been scheduled to start Monday. By stepping back, the actor lets the original ruling stand as final — including an extra penalty for what the court called the 'secondary victimisation' of the two women, tied to how his defence team treated them.

Last year a court handed the 77-year-old an 18-month suspended sentence and ordered him to register as a sex offender. The case stemmed from the 2021 filming of 'Les Volets Verts' ('The Green Shutters'), directed by Jean Becker. The plaintiffs were a set dresser identified only as Amélie and an assistant director. Depardieu has denied the allegations.

The actor faces a separate fight. He has been indicted after a rape complaint filed by actor Charlotte Arnould, 30. He denies those allegations too and has appealed against his referral to the criminal court, with a decision expected on November 26.

Depardieu has appeared in more than 200 films and television series and is the highest-profile figure caught up in France's reckoning with the #MeToo movement. The verdict landed on the opening day of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival — the showcase where he took best actor in 1990.